Press Releases

Stage II fire restrictions remain in place on all lands managed by the White River National Forest, the Colorado River Valley and Grand Junction Field Offices of the BLM. This decision was made in consultation with County Sheriffs in Mesa, Garfield, Pitkin, Eagle and Summit Counties and local fire protection districts. The public is urged to contact their County Sheriff and local fire protection district for the latest rules regarding fire on non-federal lands.

The recent rains brought some moisture into the area. However, precipitation was very localized and of short duration. It did not produce enough rain to significantly change the current drought situation or reduce the risk of large fires. Firefighters from local fire protection districts as well as the UCR continue to respond to lightening caused fires across the area.

According to Bill Hahnenberg, Fire Management Officer for the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit, “We can expect a series of short duration rain events in the coming days. In a normal summer, one or two of these events would significantly reduce the fire danger and might even take us out of the fire season. Given the severity of drought conditions going into this summer, we need several monsoon events to change current conditions.”

Just as the decision to invoke Stage II restrictions was the result of a conscious thought process based on established guidelines, the decision to remain at Stage II is based on several factors. This includes looking at weather, fuel moisture data and fire severity indices as well as consultation with our partners and cooperators. The decision to remain at Stage II is consistent with the position taken by the County Sheriffs and the various Fire Protection Districts.